Celtic‘s latest European voyage may have come to an abrupt end once again, although the Scottish champions did at least sign off on a positive note on Thursday night, following their first-ever win on German soil against Stuttgart.
Luke McCowan’s first-minute strike had sparked early hopes of a surprise comeback, following last week’s 4-1 defeat, although it subsequently proved a night of containment, as the Hoops battled for a creditable Europa League clean sheet.
The result matters little, yet the performance could mean everything heading into Sunday’s trip to Ibrox, with Martin O’Neill admitting himself that he has been given “food for thought” ahead of that crunch derby clash.
The players on the periphery took their chance, with the likes of Viljami Sinisalo and Dane Murray doing their hopes of a start this weekend no harm, it must be said.
|
Stuttgart vs Celtic – Match stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stuttgart |
Stat |
Celtic |
|
66% |
Possession |
34% |
|
1.81 |
xG |
0.30 |
|
4 |
Big chances |
1 |
|
24 |
Shots |
3 |
|
1 |
Saves |
6 |
|
13 |
Corners |
7 |
|
6 |
Fouls |
13 |
|
600 |
Passes |
312 |
|
13 |
Free kicks |
6 |
|
0 |
Yellows |
1 |
Speaking of that Rangers encounter, it will likely prove yet another matchday without both Michel Ange Balikwisha and Joel Mvuka involved, with the duo’s torried time in Scottish football continuing.
Why Balikwisha and Mvuka might not play again this season
Whether it is a case of quantity over quality, there is significant depth at O’Neill’s disposal right now, with the Glasgow side able to battle to a 1-0 victory despite making eight changes on Thursday evening.
The scale of Celtic’s squad can be seen in that even with so many alterations, there remains a stream of players not involved at all, with Jota, Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Callum Osmand all still sidelined through injury.
January arrival, Julian Araujo, was afforded a rest, while the likes of Benjamin Arthur, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Balikwisha and Mvuka were all forced to miss out, having been omitted from the Europa League squad.
While Arthur and Oxlade-Chamberlain, both of whom featured against Hibernian at the weekend, are firmly in contention to feature on Sunday, even seeing Balikwisha or Mvuka in the matchday squad would be a surprise, such is their lowly status.
In the case of Celtic’s £5m summer signing, the DR Congo international hasn’t made a Premiership appearance since October, while his only outing in all competitions in 2026 came in the Scottish Cup clash against Auchinleck Talbot.
Viewed as a winger by Brendan Rodgers, yet seen as a number ten by O’Neill, Balikwisha is in no man’s land right now, with the only escape set to be a swift summer exit.
As for Mvuka, the 23-year-old hasn’t featured at all since his 45-minute debut against Dundee, with it looking as if the Hoops boss has already seen enough from a player who at one stage looked set to sign on a £3m permanent deal.
In truth, amid what is such an intense title race, it would be unlikely to see the pair in action again at all this season, although they might not be the only ones drifting toward a state of exile.
Celtic star is in danger of becoming another Balikwisha or Mvuka
Thursday’s performance, despite having not led to a famous comeback, provided reason for optimism, although it was the same old faces who offered reason for concern, notably Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda.
4-pass Celtic star should now be nowhere near the starting XI for Rangers
Celtic’s win over Stuttgart has given Martin O’Neill food for thought heading into the weekend.
In the case of Hatate, the 28-year-old was brighter than usual, prior to his late withdrawal, although this was still nowhere close to his previous high standards, having not won a single tackle or duel all night.
Maeda’s performance, however, was perhaps even more concerning, with the Japanese speedster having been so erratic on the ball, losing possession 11 times from just 24 touches, while recording a dismal 40% pass accuracy rate.
Close control has never exactly been the winger’s strong suit, although any flaws were overlooked, and rightly so, last season, as he bagged a remarkable 33 goals in all competitions.
Those efforts have frustratingly dried up this around, however, with the former Yokohama man failing to capitalise on a potential opening late on, having been unable to get a shot away when tearing into the opposition box off the right flank.
His pace and acceleration is still a defender’s nightmare, having been a useful presence off the ball, yet Maeda is offering so little in the way of an end product right now.
Indeed, the 28-year-old has scored just once this calendar year, producing a muted celebration after netting in the 4-0 win over Dundee United back in mid-January.
With Sebastian Tounekti usurping him off the left, and Yang Hyun-jun growing into his role off the right, Maeda’s importance is certainly starting to wane, having seemingly failed to shake off a failed summer exit all season.
Like Hatate, and both Mvuka and Balikwisha, a departure this time around appears an inevitability, with O’Neill needing to put his faith in those who are likely to be in it for the long haul.
While Maeda might not be exiled quite to the extent of his fellow forwards, he is proving to be another attacking player that the Hoops boss simply can’t rely upon.
4-pass Celtic star should now be nowhere near the starting XI for Rangers
Celtic’s win over Stuttgart has given Martin O’Neill food for thought heading into the weekend.